School district to hold public meetings about construction proposal

By Andy Muntz | Oct 09, 2013

The Mukilteo School District will hold two public meetings to discuss projects that may be included in a construction bond proposal to be presented to voters in February.

The meetings will be held at Voyager Middle School, 11711 4th Ave. W. in south Everett, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, and at Harbour Pointe Middle School, 5000 Harbour Pointe Blvd. in Mukilteo, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct.17.

“We will recommend that the school board approve a package of projects that includes the construction of a new elementary school on property we already own in the Lake Stickney area and the construction of an early-learning center near Fairmount Elementary,” said Superintendent Marci Larsen.

The package also will include projects to improve technology, safety and security; modernize facilities; increase energy efficiency; and add other space to accommodate growth.

According to Larsen, the new elementary buildings are needed to reduce overcrowding in the school district’s elementary schools.

She explained that the elementary schools were overcrowded five years ago, but since then elementary enrollment has increased by another 550 students, which is enough to fill an entire elementary school building.

She said forecasts indicate that the enrollment growth will continue in the years ahead.

“We are using every classroom that we have and have added 17 portables to our schools in the past five years just to keep up with enrollment,” Larsen said. “But, we can’t do that indefinitely because adding more students to our existing facilities puts more strain on core facilities such as the cafeteria, bathrooms and library and adding portables also takes away playground space.”

Larsen pointed out that the elementary schools in the Mukilteo School District are very large in comparison with elementary schools in other nearby school districts.

Four of the five largest K-5 elementary schools in Snohomish County are in the Mukilteo School District. With more than 800 students, Horizon Elementary is the seventh largest elementary school in the state of Washington and has as many students as many middle schools.

Because of the lack of classroom space, the school district was not able to accept $1.6 million in state funding for all-day kindergarten classes because it did not have the classrooms needed to offer the program.

During the public meetings, members of the public will hear more about the issue of enrollment growth in the school district and get more details about the projects that are being proposed.